The lady doth protest too much, methinks
`Hamlet 3/2
Recently, my wife and I worked the phones for the upcoming general election. I won’t mention which side of the aisle we’re on, but anyone who knows us can likely guess. Simply put, we prefer candidates who share our values of equality, inclusion, and opportunity for all regardless of gender, race, religion or its lack, color, nationality, etc. We also prefer candidates who try to unite rather than divide us. Basically, we take seriously what America’s founding documents state, that we’re all created equal, and in our interpretation of those words, all means ALL.
Our phone calls were directed to North Carolina, with simple instructions to canvass those who responded with simple questions about important issues, the responder’s intention to vote on November 5th (though not for which candidate), and to get a general sense of the direction and preferences as election day nears.
Our guidelines required the necessity of greeting each respondent with our first name, that we’re volunteers, and to state our party affiliation. Well… In two hours, I managed to reach 60 potential voters. No, that does not mean one every two minutes. Of those sixty residents of North Carolina, 18 of them upon hearing my party affiliation hung up immediately. About five stated categorically, “Oh, I’d never vote for (my party)” and then hung up.
It was a long, relatively fruitless, and somewhat disheartening two hours. The big reason for the disappointment was not, as some may surmise, because of my lack of success, engagement, or inability to get through the provided script in most cases. No, the biggest takeaway from those hours was the level of vitriol displayed by many of those folks. The few people in opposition who spoke with me were pissed, angry, irrational, and highly aggrieved people. It was obvious they had less than zero regard for my candidate and were rock-solid convinced that theirs is the better choice. But my goodness the anger!
I’ve been around for a few election cycles, and seen some irrational behavior from certain candidates, including from a few I’d preferred. But I’ve never felt such anger in the land at this point in our history. My question is why? Why, in a nation of such bounty, promise, opportunity, and with such stated values are people so pissed off? And the anger comes largely from those who support my candidate’s opponent. What are these folks so angry about?
One possible explanation: They truly hate my avowed political party so much that they’ll vote against their own stated values just to deny my candidate any chance for success.
But a second option must be considered: It may be that those fine folks in N. Carolina and elsewhere know how ill-suited, self-absorbed, feckless, and juvenile their candidate is, and backed into a tawdry corner obliged to vote for him they lash out at their opposition. They protest too much, and it demeans them in ways they refuse to look at.
Napoleon Hill (et al) wrote: “A confused mind always says no.” It could also be that the same mind says no in the most hurtful and ungenerous way it knows how.
I remain convinced that this angry and irrational phase is passing, and that as a society we’ll very soon return to the open, courteous, and compassionate populace we know we can be, and will be again. Anger serves no one well, and consideration is a sign of strength, not weakness. Let’s please be gentle with each other. Thanks for reading.
